


Better Together

by sehunnypot



Series: behind the scenes // 2015 kpop-het ficathon entries [3]
Category: K-pop, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idk why I didn't slip Amber in here, based on Disney's Austin and Ally, but oh well, music school, onesided!Ailee/Taeyang, there's a hint of Solaric in here bc I love and miss them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-04 00:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12759306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sehunnypot/pseuds/sehunnypot
Summary: It all started in the empty hallways of an art school when Amy Lee took a wrong turn into a small practice room instead of the recording studio to start on rehearsals for her Junior Recital. She found Eric Nam at a piano, scribbling strings of notes and humming melodies away.Two undergrad music majors, one concentrating on voice and the other on composition, formed a bond of friendship and partnership that grew throughout their school years.Hey, I will always stay by your side forever - 'cause we're better together.





	Better Together

Everything started when Amy Lee accidentally took a left turn at the hallway, ending up in the small practice room instead of a right into the recording studio. 

In the middle of the fall semester, a lost Amy found a shy Eric Nam letting everything go and losing himself in a song she had never heard before. He sang a tune out loud in the piano room, creating different combinations of notes while scribbling things into his journal. Eric smiled to himself, satisfied with his progress so far when he suddenly heard an applause come from the doorway. He turned to see the rising star of the vocal department in the year below him: Amy was known to be the powerhouse with perfect pitch and an outstanding stage presence - she was the singer everyone strived to be.

“What is she doing here?” he muttered under his breath, confused to why Amy was giving him the time of day. Eric, known as the talented but quirky bookworm, spent most of his breaks in the small music rooms, composing songs whenever he had the chance. He carried a journal filled with his compositions everywhere he went; those compositions were for his eyes and his eyes only. 

His time away from his composition and songwriting classes were the moments Eric would sing out loud without a care in the world. He loved music more than anything in the world but he was scared of the rejection and criticism that would come with being a performer. His overwhelming stage fright rivaled the intensity of Amy’s stage presence. 

Eric saw her smiling at him as she fully entered the practice room. "wow, that was really good," she called out. 

He felt the tips of his ears being to heat up, embarrassed that someone actually heard him sing. "Um, thanks, I guess?"

Amy walked towards the piano with a sort of confidence Eric wished he had and glanced at his notebook over his shoulder. "You wrote this yourself?" she asked as she skimmed through the rough draft of notes and lyrics etched onto the sheet of paper.

Eric could only nod silently in reply. He was tempted to close his notebook as he usually did when someone tried to take a peek at his work, but for once, he felt like he could trust Amy with his music.

"The song sounds great as it is but it sounds a bit sad? But that's because you wrote it in a minor key.” Amy motioned for eric to make room for her on the piano bench and he scooted over, looking at her with curious eyes. “Try it in a major key and I'm sure it'll sound even better,” she smiled at him.

Amy pushed her black hair behind her ear before playing the same tune in a major key. "See? Much better right?" 

"Yeah," he answered, "It is." He quickly grabbed his pencil and made the changes on paper before the idea would become a fleeting one.

"Hi, I'm amy lee," she flashed a bright grin, her eyes wrinkled into crescents as she stuck her hand out to shake. 

"I know. Anyone who doesn’t know about you in this school is crazy," he said as he accepted her greeting. "I'm eric nam."

“Nice to meet you, Eric.”

That handshake started a friendship and partnership like no other, that only grew and grew throughout their school days.

 

 

 

 

 

(A door to the practice room slams open.“Eric, i need you to write a song for me!”

A sigh is heard. “What for?”

“I need a song so i can confess to Youngbae Dong!”

“...You’re going after the Yongbae Dong? You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m not. And that’s why I need you to write something for me.”

“Writing a song isn’t that hard, Ams. I’m pretty sure you can come up with something to help you along.”

A flail of hands. “Been there, done that. Didn’t really work.”

“All you have to do is write about how you feel. You can do that, right?”

“...Yeah. I can so do that.”

“Okay then. What do you feel about Youngbae?”

“I’m feeling...feelings!”

Another sigh. “...you’re hopeless.”

“Rric!”

“...fine, I’ll write the song.”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any time they could find in between classes, the duo of friends would be found in the piano room, writing new songs and singing their hearts out. Eric would write the hits and Amy would sing them. During their school’s monthly showcases, Amy would stand on stage singing the song they worked on together with this overpowering charisma and twinkle in her eyes while Eric watched her shine from the sidelines tightly clutching the program with his name on it, happy that his music was being heard.

 

 

 

 

 

(Push. “Eric, just talk to her!”

“Oh yeah and what the hell am I supposed to say?” A scoff. “Hi, I’m Eric and I like to write songs about how I feel about you?”

Another push put him in view for a tiny second before flailing limbs made their way back behind the lockers. “Maybe start with “Hey, we’re in the same Musical Elements lecture, right?” Bring up something you both share!”

“Amy, you’re crazy? That’s Yongsun Kim we’re talking about here.”

“And?”

“And the last time I tried talking to her, I stuttered my ass off in the music store she works at while looking for ukuleles!”

A pause. “...Oh yeah…but she giggled!”

“Yeah, because I’m an awkward guy with a cloud of awkward surrounding me!”

“Maybe she likes awkward and thinks it’s endearing. I think it’s kinda cute!” A nudge.

“Well, that’s because you’re my friend! Oh crap, she’s coming this way. I’m out, Ams.”

“You’ll thank me for this, Eric.” 

“Wait, what?”  
A big shove and crash. Music sheets fly everywhere.

“Oh god, I’m sorry! Here, uh, let me help you up.” A foot lands on a sheet and brings them back down. A snort from afar was heard.

“Ah, sorry again!” He offered a hand and a shy smile, ruffling his hair in embarrassment.

“That’s okay,” a smaller hand fit in his. He helped her up, his touch lingering a bit before he let go.

“I’m Yongsun, we’re in Musical Elements together, right? I think I’ve seen you around.”

“...yeah.”

A squeal came from behind the lockers. “Mission accomplished.”)

 

 

 

 

 

“Eric, seriously, you need to get over your stage fright,” amy said to him one day. “People need to hear your voice. Are you really gonna keep this talent hidden?” 

“I’m not cut out for the stage, Ams. I’m good with people having the chance to hear my songs. Really.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if they heard from the guy who actually wrote it?” she fired back. “I just want people to recognize you for how great you are.”

“Ny name is always in writing and you’re performing my songs. You’re the best there is in this school - that’s more than enough for me,” He looked her in the eyes and stated. Eric was always great with words but this was the first time Amy felt her heart skip a beat.

 

 

 

 

 

(“I’m gonna put mail it now,” Amy shouted, her hand halfway in the slit of the mailbox.

“What’s taking so long, Ams? It’s not that hard to drop a letter into the mailbox!”

“I’m gonna do it now!”

“You said that already, just do it!”

“Oh my god, can you chill for a sec?”

“Amy!”

“Fine!” she yelled back before letting go on the envelope. “Oh my god, i did it.”

“...you did it.”

“Oh my god.”

“...yeah.”

“What do we do now?”

“And now we wait.”)

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!” Amy bursted into the room with an envelope in her hand. She rushed to the piano where Eric was cringing. He covered his ears as she let out a squeal. 

“God, amy. Can you get any louder?” he joked, earning a loud slap to the arm. 

She shoved the manila envelope in his face. “Look what came in the mail!!” He grabbed it out of her hands to read the sender’s return address. Eric’s eyes widened in shock. “YMC Entertainment? as in the-”

“As in the entertainment company we sent our demo to, yes!” she screamed back. She snatched it out of his hands, fumbling to open it as he shouted at her to read it, both teens pumped with adrenaline.

“What does it say? what does it say? what does it-” Eric pestered, trying to read over her shoulder.

“Hush, child! I’m trying to read!”

“Well, read faster!” 

Her eyes skimmed through the letter with bright eyes and a huge smile. When it got to the middle of the letter, the grin gracing her lips slowly fell.

Eric, watching her with wide eyes, shot her a questioning look. “What? What’s up? What did it say?”

“Well, I made it, they offered me a record deal…” she whispered in disbelief.

“Amy, that’s ama-why aren’t you smiling? You should be smiling, Ams. What gives?”

“Yeah, I made it, Eric. Me,” she stated slowly, hoping he would understand without her breaking the news to him.

He didn’t get it. 

“We sent our demo and I made it. It was our demo, not my demo.”

“Yes, and?”

“Me, Eric. not we. They only accepted me.” 

“Oh.”

“...yeah.”

A silence fell between them.

“You should take it, Ams,” he pushed her to sign the contract. “This is a one in a million chance, you can’t skip out on something like this.”

“No, we started this together, there’s no way I can do this without you,” Amy argued.

He shook his head, “Well, the music business doesn’t work like that. You take what you can get.”

“I rock, you write - we’re a package deal, remember? There’s no me without you, Eric,” she firmly declared.

“But, Ams.”

“But what? If they listened to the demo, they should know that we’re a duo. I’m not a soloist.”

“Just think about this great opportunity, don’t let it go to waste. Don’t be so stubborn.”

“If they really want to sign me, they’re gonna have to sign the both of us.”

“I’m not meant for the stage, Amy. You know that.”

“You keep saying that and I know it’s not true. I’m not letting your talent go to waste either, Eric,” she flashed him a confident smile. “just you wait.”

 

 

 

 

 

**They Rock, They Write: Eric & Amy Rises to No. 1 on World Album Chart with Debut EP ‘Better Together’ **

 

 

 

 

 

(“I told you we’d make it,” she elbowed his side as they read over the article while sitting on the floor of the small piano room of their alma mater.

“Well, what can I say? We’re better together,” Eric laughed, ruffling Amy’s hair before kissing the top of her head and throwing his arm over her shoulder.

“Yes. Yes, we are.” She nuzzled her nose against his neck before pulling him into a chaste kiss.)


End file.
